164 PROGRESS IN ZOOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE xn 



we are now considering contains no traces of knowledge of 

 the existence of such a remarkable and now so well-known 

 animal. 



The three remaining genera of FEILE, Taipei, Sorex, and 

 Erinaceus, contained all the known species of the present order 

 INSECTTVORA, which now embraces many and very varied forms, 

 quite unsuspected a century ago, and to which it is probable 

 that many others will be added by the time the exploration 

 of the animal products of the world is completed. 



The fourth order, GLIRES, has remained practically un- 

 changed to our day, although the name Eodentia has generally 

 superseded that bestowed upon it by Linnaeus. The five 

 genera of the Systema Naturae, Hystrix, Lepus, Castor, Mus, 

 and Sciurus, have been vastly increased, partly by subdivision 

 and partly by the discovery of new forms. Noctilio is, as 

 before mentioned, removed to the Chiroptera, but its loss is 

 well compensated for by Hydroclicerus, the well-known Capybara, 

 the largest existing member of the group, which in the 

 Linnsean system is placed among the Belluae, in the same 

 genus with the pigs. 



The fifth Linnsean order, PECORA., is a fairly natural group, 

 equivalent to Cuvier's Ruminantia ; but it is no longer con- 

 sidered of the value of an order, since the animals composing 

 it have now been shown to be as closely related to certain of 

 those belonging to the next order as they are to each other. 

 The first genus, Camelus, contains both the American lamas 

 and the Old World camels, the demonstration of the common 

 origin and close affinities of which has been one of the im- 

 portant results of the recent discoveries in the palaeontology 

 of the Western continent. In the next genus, Moschus, were 

 placed the well-known musk deer of the highlands of Central 

 Asia, and two small African antelopes, which have no special 

 affinity with it. The subsequent inclusion in the same genus 

 of the small chevrotains (Tragulince), which was very natural 

 at the time, as they agree perfectly with the musk in the 

 absence of horns and the presence of large canine tusks, by 

 which artificial characters the genus was defined by Linnaeus, 

 was one of those unfortunate associations which have greatly 

 retarded the progress of knowledge of the true affinities of the 



